Banded mongooses live in the various types of dens they happen on. They prefer abandoned termite mounds, but can also live in thickets and gullies or warrens under bushes. As they change dens frequently (every three days or so), they do not feel like digging a new den every time. They are otherwise good diggers and use their long claws to dig up beetles and millipedes which they have located using their sense of smell.
Banded mongooses live in colonies of up to 40, but the normal size is 14–20 animals. All gestating females give birth on almost the same day. Their pups spend the first 25 days of their life underground, where they are cared for by a couple of adult “babysitters”, while the rest of the group members are out foraging. After 4 weeks, when the pups are allowed to join the adults, each pup is cared for by an adult “escort” who helps the pup to find food and protect it from enemies.